6 Arrested, Car Used In Crime Seized: Odisha Crime Branch Forms Two Teams To Nab ‘Absconding’ Sarmistha Rout

Bhubaneswar: After taking over the sensational kidnap and murder of cameraman Manas Swain, the Odisha Crime Branch on Wednesday formed two teams to investigate the matter.

ADG Crime Branch Sanjeeb Panda said that one team will probe all the related events inside Odisha and the other look into links outside the state. “We have information that she has fled the state,” he added.

The DGP had tweeted that the case was being handed over to Crime Branch, considering its gravity and multiple districts involved. Bhadrak police were carrying out the investigation with support from Commisionerate Police.

Earlier in the day, Chandbali police had seized the car, which belongs to Sarmistha, from the garage of Sky Tower apartment under Airfield police limits. It was reportedly used for kidnapping Manas and also for disposing of his body in Nayagarh district.

Her brother, Parameswar Rout, was also brought to Chandbali police station after being nabbed in Vijaywada. He had allegedly planned her escape from the state after the murder.

Also Read: [Watch] Sarmistha Rout Drove ‘The Car’ In Which Odisha Lensman Was Kidnapped!

Besides Parameswar, police have so far arrested former Information & Public Relations (I&PR) Director (Technical) Niranjan Sethi, his associate Ranjan Nayak, Bhagyadhar Nayak, Bibek Nayak, Krushna Chandra Nayak– in this case.

While the arrest of Sethi gave a shocking twist to the case, family members of Manas also dragged the names of two state Ministers Pratap Jena and Dibya Shankar Mishra, alleging their complicity in the murder.

Also Read: Odisha Lensman Murder: Unanswered Questions On ‘Absconding’ Mastermind Sarmistha Rout & Her High-Profile Connections

Demanding immediate arrest of all the accused, Manas’ wife also threatened to kill herself in front of the residence Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Notably, the 28-year-old cameraman was kidnapped from Bhadrak on February 7 and taken to an old age home in Bhubaneswar run by Sarmistha. His body was exhumed from Badhipatna hills in Rajsunakhala area of Nayagarh on March 12.

Also Read: Odisha Lensman Murder: Wife’s Charges Spell Fresh Trouble For Ministers Dibya Shankar, Pratap Jena

He was reportedly in possession of some controversial videos and photos, which could have landed Sarmistha in trouble, and she was desperately trying to get the memory chip having some sensitive content related to some high profile people.